Archiving data long term

[invisible]

I'm thinking of archiving some data for a very long time to be accessed in the future; I'm talking beyond our lifetime if possible. I know recordable digital discs will not last much at all before they degrade. I'm looking for suggestions on the media. What are the options and how long do things last as far as sealed and buried somewhere? What about flash drives?

[iffybob]

Flash Drives leak, read the data sheets. ( I think a good one about 5 years )
Magnetic media HDs about 20 years, then the magnetic fields disapate, higher temperaturs = faster.
the same goes for magnetic tape.

most long term solutions involve transfering or rewritting the data at regular intervals.

The only long term I know of is a Glass CD, though these are usualy produced as a negative to press production CDs, look around, you may be able to get a possitive.

Whate you also have to consider is being able to read the "storage" in "X" years time.

You may be able to get long term storage on a server.

[MfA]

Millenniata (http://www.millenniata.com/index.html) promised they would ship in September but I don't see any news ...

I imagine phase change memory should also be pretty durable, but that's not commercially available either.

[invisible]

Thanks for the suggestions. That Milleniata disc looks very interesting. Tough things are that who knows if the promises of "centuries" because it can't be proven now, and who knows if DVD can even be read 50 years from now.

[Ghitulescu]

You (or the offspring :)) need media + reader. What good to have a bullet-proof media if the reader is not available?

[iffybob]

I think it was IBM who "Concept" designed a system that aranged the atoms on the surface of a medium, to form a binary pattern, to store long term data, but all they showed was toys, one was an abucus.

The ultermate is "nothing in the universe is designed to last forever" :(.

question - if you were to store somthing for say 1000 years would you need to place a conceptual key to interperate the data, ( ref Roseter Stone, hyroglyhs ) as even the data structure info would have to be read ?.

[Shinigami-Sama]

tape with a jockey system
copies and verifies data from one tape to another at regular intervals(3-8years)

[gooki]

How about a web address and a login/password to a google docs account printed on a piece of paper.

[MatLz]

Vinyl discs for audio.

[Shinigami-Sama]

Vinyl discs for audio.

to bad they self destruct as well

[MatLz]

@Shinigami-San

I've lot of 60's/70's vinyls and my "precious ones" are always in their original state.
I think a vinyl is really more unalterable than a CD. Of course if we don't PLAY IT ALL THE DAYS. This thread is about ARCHIVING.
And IF there was a little alteration, the analogic/vinyl will ALWAYS play, it's not the case for digital audio informations if some bits are lost, I think.

Well, no warrantly I'm right but I base my opinion on 50 years old discs always perfect.